


EPISODE TWO: "A Person"

by gaypetersimmonds



Series: Skam Brighton: Season Five [3]
Category: Original Work, SKAM (Norway)
Genre: Canon Bisexual Character, Canon Character of Color, Canon Gay Character, Episode 2, Other, Skam season 5, also for some mentioned pedophilia, also one brief instance of racism in clip two, nothing is shown for these things in clip 5 but they are mentioned/discussed, tw for a joke about pedophilia/csa in clip two, tw for discussion of drug use and reference to an overdose in clip 5, tw for discussion of drug use in clip 5, tw for discussion of drugs and drug overdoses in clip three, welcome back to the tudors house babey!!!!, yes clip three is mostly just nick watching euphoria. yes i still believe i am a good writer.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:07:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26920384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaypetersimmonds/pseuds/gaypetersimmonds
Summary: Nick Braxton is out of control. Out at parties every weekend - where he gets more money than he spends, takes more drugs than he sells, and kisses more people than he can count. Everyone loves Nick. Except for when he comes home to his family.But Nick doesn't care. Nick doesn't care about anything - not how a lot of his friends have been avoiding him lately, not how tight money has been, and certainly not about failing his classes.He makes people happy with his products and he makes people laugh with his jokes, and that's enough for him - but whether they're laughing with him or at him gets harder to tell day by day.He can't control what he can or can't do, he can't control who he is and, worst of all, he can't control who he falls in love with - seeing as it's the one person who will never love him back. Probably.FIRST CLIP: "Bad Example"
Series: Skam Brighton: Season Five [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1930417
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	1. CLIP ONE: "Bad Example"

**SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10TH, 05:17**

Pan across the tops of various back gardens in the hazy night-morning glow. There’s no people around, just darkness, gravel and washed clothes hanging up on drying lines. We see the top of a head walking in the small alley between gardens, and then it turns and walks into one.

EXT. BACK GARDEN, NICK’S HOUSE

NICK sneaks in through the gate carefully, quietly pushing it open and locking it behind himself. He ducks down, keeping low as he looks into the kitchen window - he doesn’t see anyone - and he stands up a bit straighter, letting out a sigh of relief, and walks up the garden path. He takes a key out of his pocket and unlocks the door, quietly stepping inside.

INT. KITCHEN, NICK’S HOUSE

NICK walks inside, closing the door and locking it behind him. He slides the key back into his pocket, running a hand through his hair.

CHRISTIAN [O.S.]  
What are you doing home so late?

NICK jumps, his hand jumping to his heart as he turns around to see his father - CHRISTIAN - standing behind him, his arms folded.

NICK  
Jesus, Dad!

CHRISTIAN  
Close, it’s Christian. Now what are you doing home so late?

NICK shrugs, looking down.

NICK  
I was working, I told you.

CHRISTIAN  
Until five in the morning?

NICK  
I-- I slept a bit at James’s, then I woke up, then I decided to come home. So I’m actually early.

NICK laughs a bit, nervously, as CHRISTIAN looks him dead in the eyes.

CHRISTIAN  
Are you being honest, Nick?

NICK  
Yes! Why wouldn’t I be?

CHRISTIAN gives him a distrustful look.

NICK  
Dad.

CHRISTIAN  
I don’t want you doing anything stupid.

NICK nods, letting out a small sigh.

NICK  
I know.

CHRISTIAN  
You can’t keep doing this, you know. Your mother’s up almost all night, worrying about whether or not you’re still alive.

NICK  
I was working!

CHRISTIAN  
You said your shift ends at midnight.

NICK clenches his fists, taking deep breaths, trying to keep himself as quiet as possible.

NICK  
I just… I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t notice the time and James's is closer than here. 

CHRISTIAN sighs, rubbing his temples.

CHRISTIAN  
Just… Don’t let it happen again, okay?

NICK nods, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

NICK  
Okay.

CHRISTIAN  
And no internet for a week.

NICK frowns at him, completely surprised.

NICK  
What?

CHRISTIAN  
You need to be punished, Nick.

NICK scoffs, shifting about uncomfortably.

NICK  
I need it for school, Dad.

CHRISTIAN  
Do your schoolwork at school.

NICK  
I have homework  _ and  _ coursework. 

CHRISTIAN  
You should just be working harder at school so you don’t have as much.

NICK sighs again, rolling his eyes.

NICK  
That’s not how it works.

CHRISTIAN  
Then go to a library or something. Get your work done there. But no internet for fun. We can’t have you setting this bad example for your--

NICK  
Brothers, yeah, I know.

CHRISTIAN nods, taking a deep breath, relaxing his shoulders as NICK stares at him, trying to be expressionless.

CHRISTIAN  
I’m not trying to be the bad guy, okay? Somebody’s gotta do it.

NICK  
I know. 

CHRISTIAN  
I just want you to be the best you can be.

NICK nods, tired.

NICK  
I know.

CHRISTIAN nods, taking a breath.

CHRISTIAN  
Now, I think we both need some rest, yes?

NICK  
Yeah, Dad. Thanks.

CHRISTIAN nods, smiling awkwardly.

CHRISTIAN  
I’ll see you later.

NICK nods.

NICK  
Yeah. Bye.

CHRISTIAN walks out, and NICK lets out a breath, _“Be Great” by Loladre and Jeremy Pope_ playing as NICK leans against the counter of the kitchen. He runs a hand through his hair, smoothing it out, and he kicks off his shoes, picking them up and holding them as he walks out of the kitchen door, closing it gently behind him.

INT. HALLWAY

NICK walks down the hallway, looking down at the floor as he delicately tiptoes down the hall, stepping out of the way of various floorboards before reaching his bedroom door and quietly opening it.

INT. NICK AND LUKE’S BEDROOM

LUKE is fast asleep in his bed, his foot hanging out of his covers as NICK walks in and sees him. NICK rolls his eyes fondly as he sets his shoes down, quickly unbuckling his belt and shaking his jeans off of his legs, kicking them over to the side of his room as he sits down on his bed, taking his jacket off and taking several baggies of pills and weed out of them. He opens the bottom drawer of his bedside table and quickly tucks them into the bottom of it, covering it up with various knick knacks and books. 

NICK then closes the drawer and takes his phone out of his jacket pocket, turning it on - no notifications. He lets out of a sigh, either frustrated or relieved, and plugs his phone in to charge. He then lies down on his bed, covering himself up and rolling over to his side, closing his eyes and falling asleep almost instantly.


	2. CLIP TWO: "A Little Bit of Flavour"

**SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11TH, 13:02**

EXT. CHURCH

Crowds of people stand around the church, in their Sunday best, chatting casually. Far away from them, leaning against the wall, dressed as casual as can be, is NICK.

He is smiling down at his phone, typing out a message to JAMES: “Honestly making ur sim a whole ass gigolo is the least surprising thing about that message. But making him live in a house that shitty??? A CRIME!!!!”.

NICK taps his thumbs on the side of his phone as the three dots dance on JAMES’s side, and then the message comes: “nickolai, i installed a porn mod on sims 4, the most BORING sims game, i’m not gonna focus on making a fucking house”.

NICK snorts, smiling to himself as he types out: “Bro how will he get good clients if his house is shit??” and JAMES replies: “bro i’m just going to marry a rich milf and live in her house”. NICK laughs again and replies: “Goals”, and his message gets read. NICK watches the screen for a few moments, tap-tap-tapping, but nothing comes.

He lets out a quiet breath and looks up, over to where JOSEFINA and CHRISTIAN are standing together, LUKE standing a few feet away from them on his phone and MATTHEW chases GABE around, pushing through various people standing around. NICK smiles, laughing a little, as JAKE walks up to him.

JAKE  
Hey.

NICK  
What’s up, dude?

JAKE leans against the wall next to him.

JAKE  
My back hurts so much. 

NICK looks at him dismissively and laughs.

JAKE  
Seriously, the ups and downs and kneeling and sitting, just… Love having my parents’ genetics. Love it so much.

NICK laughs a little, awkward.

NICK  
If you don’t like having a sore back, just don’t do it, mate.

JAKE rolls his eyes.

JAKE  
Thank you so much, Nick, you’re the best help anyone could ask for.

NICK  
You’re welcome!

He looks down at his phone - still nothing - and back up at JAKE.

NICK  
So, what were we praying for this week?

JAKE  
School shit.

NICK looks at him and gestures with his right hand, as if to say "go on".

JAKE  
I have this massive sociology presentation this week and it’s worth, like, 20% of my grade for this term, and I feel like I’m going to die.

NICK  
Yeah, school’s shit. I still haven’t done a paper I have due first thing Tuesday morning.

JAKE  
You should do that.

NICK scoffs, shrugging.

NICK  
Who knows?

He blows out some air, filling the silence as JAKE looks away.

NICK  
Anyways, could I get you anything to help you relax?

JAKE  
What, like, weed?

NICK  
No, Jacob, I’m gonna punch you in the face so you go into a coma and finally chill.

JAKE goes still, genuinely bothered as he awkwardly laughs and moves away from him.

JAKE  
Thanks?

NICK's eyes go wide, his mouth falling open as his shoulders tense, fidgeting with his fingers.

NICK  
Oh, shit.

JAKE  
Yeah.

NICK  
Sorry, mate.

JAKE nods, smiling tightly.

JAKE  
Yeah, don't mention it.

NICK nods, awkwardly laughing, looking for a quick way to break the tension.

NICK  
Anyways, wanna buy some weed, kid?

JAKE snorts.

JAKE  
I mean, yeah, obviously, thanks very much, but like… I’m just really fucking stressed, man, I feel like my head is a fucking prison.

NICK nods, getting it.

NICK  
Yeah… I mean, it’ll be over in two days, so that’s fun.

JAKE  
It’s so much of my grade, though. Like, we can’t be messing around anymore. It’s  _ real shit _ now.

NICK  
Thanks for the reminder.

JAKE laughs.

JAKE  
Yeah, you’re welcome.

He trails off, looking off seriously. NICK follows his gaze, looking up at the spire of the church.

JAKE  
I seriously think if I don’t get into uni, I’ll just, like, die.

NICK  
Just fucking despawn on the spot.

JAKE  
Yeah, exactly. 

JAKE sighs.

JAKE  
Like, all I want is a nice house, a nice husband, kids and dogs and a good fucking job. Is that so much to ask?

NICK shrugs, awkwardly laughing, trying not to show how much he wants the exact same thing.

NICK  
I don’t know. Sounds boring. I just want to get my own place and that's it.

JAKE  
Your parents don’t seem that bad.

NICK  
They aren’t. They’re just… 

He looks over to CHRISTIAN and JOSEFINA.

NICK  
They want me to be some investment banker or something.

JAKE snorts again.

JAKE  
And you’re just gonna sell drugs for the rest of your life?

NICK shrugs, blowing out some air, the fingers on his right hand twitching.

NICK  
I don’t fucking know. Maybe. To be honest, I just don’t want to have to come here every fucking weekend.

JAKE  
Come on, it’s not that bad.

NICK scoffs.

NICK  
Please, it’s literally just the cheapest and slowest workout routine you could ask for, but they still ask you for money, and if you don’t give anything, people give you bad looks. And the readings are all like “oh, Jesus was super cool. Here’s some letters from random people. Yay!” and then the Gospel is just some random story time, and then the priest goes: [old wizard-y voice] “Right, now that we’ve all been bored to tears, it’s time for me to go into my story of the week, with my new stand-up tight five sprinkled in, for a little bit of flavour! Just kidding! Like the crackers I give out, there’s no flavour here!”

JAKE, who's been laughing for a while, gasps for breath, NICK still roaring on.

JAKE  
Jesus!

NICK  
“Oh, and if you think you can drink the alcohol we offer to take the edge off, it’s actually the tiniest bit of shit juice mixed with a lot of water! Happy Christ Time!”

JAKE looks at NICK's wide grinning face incredulously.

JAKE  
Oh my God, Nick.

NICK nods solemnly.

NICK  
I know, I should become a priest.

JAKE quickly shakes his head.

JAKE  
Oh, God, no.

NICK shrugs.

NICK  
Not like I'm gonna fuck kids.

JAKE gasp-laughs, NICK laughing at himself.

JAKE  
_ God,  _ Nick!

NICK shrugs.

NICK  
Sorry for having funny disease!

JAKE scoffs, pretending not to be amused.

JAKE  
You don't have to be.

NICK laughs, holding his hands up.

NICK  
Ouch! But you're literally losing it.

JAKE rolls his eyes, smiling.

JAKE  
Fuck you, dude.

NICK winks at him.

NICK  
Fuck you too, babe.

Before JAKE can say anything else, the Grindr notification noise goes off, and both of them laugh, NICK pulling his phone out of his pocket.

JAKE  
Seriously? Again?

NICK raises an eyebrows at him.

NICK  
Jealous?

JAKE  
Kind of, yeah.

NICK laughs again as he looks down at his screen to read the message - he's already sent one saying "hey", and he's gotten the response: "cant u read???? i said english only". He is still for a moment, almost confused, and then sighs, exhausted. He glances over at JAKE and begins to laugh, trying to cover everything us as he puts his phone in his pocket.

NICK  
Nothing good, anyway.

JAKE  
I shan't cry for you.

NICK looks up at the church again, muttering to himself.

NICK  
Thank God.

CHRISTINE [O.S.]  
Jake! Are you coming?

JAKE yells out to the crowd:

JAKE  
Coming, Mum!

Back to NICK:

JAKE  
Talk to you later.

NICK nods, waving as JAKE starts to walk away.

NICK  
Buh-bye.

NICK watches as JAKE jogs over to CHRISTINE and hugs her, keeping his arm around her as they walk off together. NICK lets out a breath longingly, ignoring the bad looks he's getting from various old people walking past, looking off into the distance.


	3. CLIP THREE: "Some Heavy Shit"

**MONDAY, OCTOBER 12TH, 18:04**

INT. NICK AND LUKE’S BEDROOM, NICK’S HOUSE

We pan around the room, focusing on the dullness of the walls, the clothes stuffed into a hamper, LUKE's unmade bed, and then NICK's.

NICK is lying on his bed, flat on his stomach, laptop sitting next to his head as his phone sits in between them. His head is resting on one of his hands as his earphones are in his ears, the pilot episode of “Euphoria” playing on his screen as he watches, entranced, biting his right hand’s fingernails.

RUE'S MUM  
Where were you?

RUE  
I went to eat.

RUE’S MUM  
What do you mean you went to eat? 

NICK lets out a breath - he's heard this conversation before.

RUE  
What?

RUE’S MUM  
What? Don’t walk away from me.

RUE begins to storm off as NICK averts his gaze, afraid to look uncomfortable.

RUE'S MUM  
You know what, Rue? I don’t trust you.

RUE  
I don’t know what you want me to say.

RUE’S MUM  
I want you to tell me where you were.

RUE  
I just said I went to fucking eat!

NICK flinches at the yelling.

RUE'S MUM  
Don’t you talk to me like that! You know what, I will drug test you.

RUE slams the door on screen as her little sister, GIA, watches from down the hall. NICK stops biting his nails for a second and looks away, rubbing his eyes, before staring back at the screen.

RUE'S MUM  
Don’t be slamming no doors.

RUE  
It was an accident!

RUE'S MUM [O.S.]  
Well, you’re not leaving this house until you take a drug test!

RUE  
I just peed!

RUE’S MUM walks away on screen, NICK letting out a breath as GIA watches, teary-eyed. NICK's stomach drops, 

RUE’S MUM  
That girl’s gonna be the death of me.

Back in her room, RUE sighs.

RUE [V.O.]  
Now, there’s a few ways to beat a drug test. The first is simple: Stop doing drugs. But if you’re in a bind and totally fucked, option one.

NICK bites his lip, preparing to pay attention.

RUE [V.O.]  
Niacin. It’s a B vitamin that, like breaks down fat and chemicals or whatever. And if you take a lot of it, like two thousand milligrams and chug a few gallons of water. You can flush your system in two to three days. The only problem is, it has a few side effects - Skin flushing. Extreme dizziness. Vomiting. Rapid heartbeat and sometimes death. I don’t recommend it, nor does any legit drug site on the internet.

NICK nods, breathing out a little laugh, already knowing all of this.

RUE [V.O.]  
Option Two. Synthetic Urine.

The expensive price flashes on screen, and NICK scoffs at the same time as RUE, rolling his eyes.

RUE [V.O.]  
Yeah fucking right. Option Three. Get a non-drug-addict friend to piss for you. The only problem is most over the counter home drug testing kits come with heat sensor strips that detect the temperature of your urine. And if your parents watch you pee, you can’t do the sink trick.

RUE runs a sealed container of pee under hot water, and NICK nods - he gets it.

RUE [V.O.]  
So you gotta get it fresh.

RUE arrives at a fancy house - NICK nods, eyes wide, impressed.

LEXI  
Hey Rue.

RUE  
Hey, um, I need a favor.

LEXI  
What?

RUE  
Like for real, Lexi.

RUE whispers in her ear, clearly uncomfortable, and NICK shifts about, just as uncomfy.

RUE [V.O.]  
The side effects of this option?

LEXI  
Are you serious?

RUE  
Please.

LEXI runs off as:

LEXI’S MUM  
Hey Rue, how was rehab?

NICK snorts, happy to be distracted.

RUE  
It was good. It was really, really good.

LEXI’S MUM  
Oh that’s good. How long have you been back?

RUE  
Five days.

LEXI’S MUM  
New chapter.

RUE [V.O.]  
Lexi’s been my best friend since preschool, even though we’ve grown apart. We don’t really have that much in common anymore.

LEXI hands RUE a bottle of pee and then some eyeliner - NICK looks impressed, but then stops himself, ashamed of being impressed.

LEXI  
Here’s that eyeliner.

RUE then tapes the pee bottle to her leg and snorts a line of cocaine - NICK’s unfazed.

RUE  
Mom, I have to pee!

RUE’S MUM hands her a cup.

RUE   
I wish we could do this in a way that wasn’t a total invasion of my privacy.

RUE'S MUM  
Well you gave up your right to privacy after your overdose.

NICK completely stiffens.

RUE  
That was a mistake.

RUE'S MUM  
Don’t be flip, Rue. 

NICK slowly begins to bite his nails again, accidentally hitting skin and wincing, shaking his hand out.

RUE’S MUM  
You don’t understand, this was the most frightening thing a mother could witness.

NICK looks away from the screen again.

RUE'S MUM   
And Gia. Gia who absolutely idolizes you.

RUE  
I know, Mom.

RUE'S MUM  
To have her find you unconscious--

RUE starts to tear up as NICK takes a deep breath, in and out, not able to look at the screen anymore.

RUE  
Can we just-- Can we not do this right now, Mom?

The screen flashes to a different colour - NICK looks back - as GIA walks down a hallway - his shoulders tense.

GIA  
Rue? Rue?

She opens a door and RUE is lying on the ground, unconscious, in a pool of her own vomit and urine - NICK instinctively covers his eyes with his hands as GIA quietly cries on screen, cutting to RUE, on the toilet, crying.

RUE [V.O.]  
I know a lot of you probably hate me right now. And I get it.

NICK slowly removes his hands, cringing at his own childishness, but he also shakes his head at the screen - he doesn’t hate her at all.

RUE [V.O.]  
If I could be a different person, I promise you I would. Not because I want it, but because they do. And therein lies the catch.

NICK nods, this time for himself instead of her, as the drug test begins.

RUE  
I’m sorry for slamming the door earlier.

RUE'S MUM  
It’s okay. I forgive you. Come here.

She and RUE hug tightly, and NICK pauses the video, the laptop coming out of full screen and onto a rip-off Putlocker site.

He takes a deep, deep breath, placing both of his hands in front of him as he closes his eyes. He takes his earphones out, shaking his head clean, and "Old Eden" by Honeywater starts to play. He picks up his phone and turns it on, showing his lock screen, which is a selfie of him and JAMES

NICK opens Instagram and taps on the search bar, typing in “intothe_woods” and tapping the first account that comes up: it's a very organised account full of close-up picture of MILO's amazing makeup, all of the images colour co-ordinated with the account - very aesthetic, very cool.

NICK taps on the message button quickly types out: “Hey, I’m watching that euphoria show like I SAID I would and I’m like 10 minutes in and this is some heavy shit”. He sends it, taps his thumbs on the side of his phone for a second, and then: “Also why do they talk like normal people???? Not like in a weird way but they talk like people talk when they’re talking normally, not when they’re acting, that’s so weird”. Sends it, and then he reads it back and lets out a breath, rolling his eyes at himself as his thumbs keep tap-tap-tapping.

Nothing comes, except for a white flash at the top of the screen: “stjewmypriv just posted a new photo!”

He taps the notification and sees a blurry picture of a brown forearm - JAMES's - with some light burns on it, with the caption: “never trying to make pasta sauce from scratch again”. NICK snorts and double taps it, opening the comments and typing: “Put it under water and keep your head up king, your chefs hat is falling”. 

He watches the screen for a moment, tap tap tap, and then a notification - MILO sent a message saying: “asdcvrfscrc, yeah, i should’ve said it was pretty heavy stuff, sorry. also they talk like that for the Realism, it’s really cool”. NICK smiles a bit, breathing out a laugh, and types: “Ah they are like The Normal Teens, fun. And it’s cool, I’m actually enjoying this??”. He sends it, and begins to types again: “Zendaya’s really good because of course she is, she’s mf zendaya, and the jules girl is literally the cutest girl i’ve ever seen”.

He waits for a moment, tapping the sides, and then watches the three dots at MILO’s side for a few moments, before he receives: “i told you it’s a good show!!!!! Also jules is my favourite character in anything EVER!!!! how often do you see a trans girl on tv who’s a Teen and gets to be one of the most interesting characters ever without her transness being questioned or erased???? GOD!!!!”. NICK’s face goes still for a moment, and then he types: “oh are you trans?” and sends it. 

Immediately he cringes at himself, hiding his burning face in his hands as MILO quickly responds: “oh yah i’m genderfluid :) he/she/they depending on the day babey”. NICK lets out a sigh of relief - he hasn’t fucked up - and types back: “Cool cool cool cool cool”. MILO responds: “top 10 things to say to someone post-coming out”.

NICK snorts, when the door gets flung open - the song immediately cuts out - as LUKE walks in in his school uniform. He stares at NICK, who stares back at him.

LUKE  
What are you doing?

NICK squints.

NICK  
Things…?

LUKE  
I need the laptop.

NICK scoffs, whiny, rolling his eyes.

NICK  
Why?

LUKE  
School stuff.

NICK  
Use your phone.

LUKE  
Can’t.

NICK  
But--

LUKE  
Dad said you weren’t supposed to have it anyway, so if you don’t give it to me, I’ll tell him you’re using it.

NICK frowns, and quickly closes all of his tabs, deleting his internet history, and gives the laptop to LUKE, who grins.

NICK  
You’re a demon.

LUKE  
Thank you!

LUKE walks over to his own bed and sits on it, beginning to type as NICK lets out a breath slowly, looking back down to his phone to where there’s another message from MILO: “please keep me updated as you watch”, and NICK nervously goes still, and slowly responds: “Can’t sorry, family thing came up”, and turns his phone off, sitting up and pulling on his jacket.

LUKE  
Where you going?

NICK  
James’s.

LUKE  
[sarcastic] Colour me surprised.

NICK glares at him as he stands up.

NICK  
Once you’re done your homework, you put that back.

LUKE scoffs.

LUKE  
[sarcastic] Okay!

NICK rolls his eyes and groans as he walks out, closing the door tight behind him.


	4. CLIP FOUR: "Don't Wanna Mess Up Anyone"

**TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13TH, 17:44**

INT. MALE CHANGING ROOM, LEISURE CENTRE

We get a view of the room - a lot of men either changing in or out of clothes, all quite awkward and desperately avoiding eye contact. A few kids run around, playing a game of tag, but their dad chasing after them, trying to stop them.

NICK stands by the lockers in a pair of baggy swimming shorts, shoving a backpack and some shoes into it, pushing them all up against the wall and quickly closes it, locking it tightly. He lets out a breath and puts on a bright smile, turning to look at a small boy wearing floaties on his arms - his brother, MATTHEW.

MATTHEW  
Are you sure that Mum and Dad are okay with this?

NICK nods, trying to convince both of them.

NICK  
Totally. I asked them and everything.

MATTHEW nods, looking a lot more dubious.

MATTHEW  
But I still haven’t done my homework.

NICK  
You can do it some other time, it’ll be okay.

MATTHEW  
But it’s due tomorrow.

NICK  
You have plenty of time, then. You can do it tomorrow morning.

MATTHEW sighs, looking down at his feet.

MATTHEW  
I just don’t want to get in trouble.

NICK  
You won’t, I promise. I’m basically an adult, I can take you places.

MATTHEW snorts.

MATTHEW  
If you say so.

NICK fake-frowns at him as MATTHEW giggles. NICK wiggles his fingers at him as MATTHEW back away, still laughing, as NICK grabs his by his sides, tickling him as MATTHEW bats him away.

MATTHEW  
Stop, that tickles!

NICK steps back, holding his hands up, slowing his laughter down as a MAN and his CHILDREN walk past, looking at the two of them judgmentally. NICK looks away from them, blinking quickly as MATTHEW looks up at him, not noticing the staring.

MATTHEW  
Can we go in now?

NICK nods, smiling.

NICK  
Yeah, sure.

MATTHEW  
Can you hold my hand?

NICK looks at him, confused, as MATTHEW points at the dark goggles on his forehead.

MATTHEW  
I can’t see with the googles.

NICK laughs to himself.

NICK  
_Goggles_ , Matt.

MATTHEW  
No. They’re googles now.

NICK  
Okay, googly eyes.

NICK slips the key for the locker around his wrist, tightens it, and holds out his hand. MATTHEW takes it, and NICK walks them out of the changing room, both of them leaning against the wall as some MEN walk past, talking loudly about nothing in particular. MATTHEW squeezes NICK’s hand as NICK smiles down at him.

NICK  
Excited?

MATTHEW  
Yeah!

NICK awkwardly does one-handed jazz hands, and MATTHEW tries not to laugh at him.

NICK  
Yay!

MATTHEW  
Can we just go now? We only get an hour.

NICK  
Yeah.

INT. POOLS, LEISURE CENTRE

NICK and MATTHEW walk in and look out at the two pools - one large and sufficiently full, and the other smaller, with some parents and toddlers, with a small plastic slide next to it. The people are all having loud conversations, splashes everywhere. MATTHEW grins widely and NICK smiles down at him, before they head off towards the kids pool. 

NICK walks down the steps and into the pool and looks back at MATTHEW, who’s standing nervously on the edge.

NICK  
Do you need a hand?

MATTHEW  
I can get in by myself! I’m six, not a child!

NICK nods, pressing his lips together to stop laughing.

NICK  
Okay.

MATTHEW peers nervously into the pool, NICK pretending to cough into his hand as he laughs.

MATTHEW  
I just wanna jump in and I don’t want to mess up anyone.

NICK  
You’ll be fine.

MATTHEW nods, screws his eyes shut and snaps his goggles over his eyes as NICK holds his arms out, MATTHEW jumps into the pool. NICK keeps his arms around MATTHEW as MATTHEW smiles up at him.

NICK  
You did it!

MATTHEW  
Yeah!

He dips his head under the water as NICK looks to the poolside to see MILO walking past, wearing a baggy shirt and shorts. NICK’s eyes widen as he stays perfectly still, and MILO looks over and sees him, grinning and beginning to walk over as MATTHEW pops back up, panting.

MATTHEW  
How long was I down there?

NICK  
Uh, a lot! A lot of time!

MATTHEW  
Hell yeah!

NICK’s eyes go wide.

NICK  
You can’t say that!

MATTHEW  
Why not?

NICK  
Mum and Dad will be pissed! [realises what he said] Fuck! [realises again] Shit! 

He takes a deep breath.

NICK  
Don’t say anything I say.

MATTHEW nods as MILO now stands directly behind him, about two feet above them.

MATTHEW  
Okay! 

NICK looks above him at MILO, trying to smile nervously as MATTHEW looks at him, confused.

MILO  
Hey! Fancy seeing you here.

NICK nods, laughing awkwardly, as MATTHEW looks up at MILO, confused.

NICK  
Yeah.

MILO  
Is this your son?

NICK snorts as MATTHEW shakes his head, serious.

MATTHEW  
No, Nick’s my brother!

MILO  
Ah, of course.

MATTHEW squints up at MILO, and NICK gives him a light whack on the arm, giving him a look as if to say “Don’t be rude”.

MATTHEW  
Who is that?

NICK  
This is my… lo. Milo.

NICK cringes at himself, covering his face with his hands as MILO laughs, MATTHEW looks back at them.

MILO  
I'm Nick’s friend from school.

MATTHEW  
Oh… 

NICK smiles, a little surprised by it, as MATTHEW looks MILO up and down.

MATTHEW  
Are you a boy or a girl?

NICK smile goes away as he looks panickedly down at MATTHEW, quickly moving his hand across his throat, trying to get him to cut it out.

MILO  
Oh, well, uh, I'm neither.

MATTHEW tilts his head at him, NICK looking apologetically at MILO, rubbing his temples.

MATTHEW  
How?

MILO  
Well, some people are boys, some people are girls, and some people are just people. 

MATTHEW takes a moment to think, NICK looking away and closing his eyes, before MATTHEW smiles and nods at MILO.

MATTHEW  
Oh, okay! That's cool!

NICK lets out a quiet sigh of relief, looking nervously around at the kids swimming past as MATTHEW looks up at him.

MATTHEW  
Can I be a person, Nick?

NICK open and closes his mouth a few times, nodding awkwardly.

NICK  
You can be whatever you wanna be, little dude.

MATTHEW nods quickly.

MATTHEW  
I wanna be a swimmer!

NICK  
Then let's get to swimming, huh?

MATTHEW turns to MILO, politely ignoring NICK, who sighs quietly.

MATTHEW  
I started swimming lessons last month and I can do a doggy paddle and I can go almost all the way across the pool without breathing!

MILO  
Wow, that’s awesome!

MATTHEW  
I know! Nick pays for them because he's old and has a job.

MILO raises an eyebrow at NICK.

MILO  
Really?

NICK  
Yep! Anyways, I think Milo probably has their own swimming they want to do.

MILO  
Or… I could help you learn how to swim the whole way across without taking a breath?

NICK and MATTHEW are both stunned silent for a moment.

MATTHEW  
You could do that?

MILO looks down at NICK.

MILO  
If you'll let me.

NICK looks down at MATTHEW’s puppy dog eyes and sighs. 

NICK  
Go on, then. Steal my award for big brother of the year.

MILO grins and sits down on the poolside, sliding into the pool as MATTHEW turns to grin at NICK.

MATTHEW  
You can help Milo help me!

NICK smiles back at him begrudgingly.

NICK  
Alright then, fine.

MATTHEW  
Yay!

MATTHEW ducks back down under the water as MILO and NICK make eye contact and start to laugh, neither of them quite sure why. NICK looks away as he quickly ducks his head under the water, MATTHEW going up as he does. NICK looks at the legs all around him, before covering his eyes and coming back up to the surface, standing up straight.

NICK  
Jesus, the chlorine is bad.

MATTHEW and MILO both laugh at him as he wipes his eyes clean, making himself laugh along a bit.


	5. CLIP FIVE: "Having Fun"

**THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15TH, 16:09**

INT. OFFICE HALL, LIZ’S HOUSE

NICK sits alone at the end of a row of chairs, bored, his head in one hand as he stares at his phone, idly curling a strand of hair around his finger and bouncing his leg. On his phone is an Instagram search full of cute cats posing for the camera. He’s expressionless as he scrolls and scrolls and scrolls, no end in sight, until:

He grins. He stares at an image of a tiny black kitten with wide yellow eyes, a ripped up cushion in the background. He quickly screenshots it and opens Whatsapp, opening his direct messages with JAMES and waits a moment, finally taking a breath, and then sends the screenshot, and a quick message after it saying “This is u”.

He waits for a moment, going from curling his hair to biting his nails as he continues to stare at the screen, nothing at all happening on it. He lets out a long breath, sitting up properly and stretching out his back. A door opens behind him and he quickly turns his phone off, turning to see LIZ standing there, looking surprised to see him. NICK slips on his easy smile.

NICK  
Hey.

LIZ  
Hi. Waiting for Charles?

NICK  
[sarcastic] No. I’m waiting for you, of course, Lizzie.

LIZ laughs a little.

LIZ  
Okay, geez…

LIZ keeps standing in the doorway, awkward, NICK raising his eyebrows at her.

NICK  
Are we gonna chat? Do we chat now?

LIZ  
We chat!

NICK snorts.

NICK  
Yeah, when we have to. We’re not chatters.

LIZ  
Still.

LIZ folds her arms, looking down, as NICK keeps looking at her, becoming genuinely confused.

NICK  
Is there something you want, or…?

LIZ  
No!

NICK gives her a look and she sighs.

LIZ  
Okay, maybe I just want some human contact. 

NICK  
You have a boyfriend for that.

LIZ wrinkles her nose up, disgusted.

LIZ  
Human interaction, I meant.

NICK faux-gasps.

NICK  
Wow, Elizabeth made a mistake? Someone alert the presses!

LIZ rolls her eyes.

LIZ  
[sarcastic] You’re so funny, Nick, you’re literally  _ so  _ funny.

NICK grins.

NICK  
Thanks.

Silence rolls in, awkward and heavy, as NICK glances down at his phone, no notifications coming up on it as he begins to tap the screen, quick and quiet.

LIZ  
So… How’s class going?

NICK  
I mean… It’s happening, and sometimes I’m there. Why?

LIZ  
I couldn’t think of anything else to say so I went back to the default thing to talk about.

NICK  
[sarcastic] Of course.

NICK nods as the silence comes back, more awkward than ever. Silence. And silence. And silence. NICK sighs, giving in.

NICK  
So how’s school for you?

LIZ  
I’ve never been more stressed in my life. But you know. Everything’s going great otherwise.

NICK holds his fists up in fake triumph.

NICK  
Huzzah, I’ll sleep tonight.

LIZ sarcastically laughs as NICK genuinely laughs at himself.

LIZ  
I just… Can I ask you something?

NICK stares at her for a moment, both terrified and intrigued.

NICK  
Are you pregnant?

LIZ rolls her eyes, and then steps forward a bit, speaking quieter, secretive.

LIZ  
Just… Have you heard from James lately?

NICK  
In the past five minutes? No.

LIZ rolls her eyes.

LIZ  
I mean, have you heard from him about me?

NICK looks at her, frowning, confused.

NICK  
I mean, yeah, obviously, he’s been obsessed with you for the last two years.

LIZ  
I mean, recently.

NICK is still for a moment, genuinely thinking.

NICK  
I mean, no more than you would expect to hear about your best mate's girlfriend. He's less of a fanboy, nowadays.

LIZ nods, looking away and around the room as NICK tilts his head, thinking.

NICK  
I mean... If you want to know the boy talk we have...

He waggles his eyebrows as LIZ holds her hands up, disgusted.

LIZ  
I don't want to hear about your private life.

NICK  
But you do want to hear about his?

LIZ sighs, turning to walk away.

LIZ  
Forget I asked.

NICK sits up quickly.

NICK  
Wait. Let Auntie Nick help you.

LIZ turns, giving him a withering look, and sits down next to him. NICK lets out a breath, thinking. He glances down at his phone - still no reply.

NICK  
Well, he does talk about wanting to fuck a lot of girls. But, you know, that's normal for him.

LIZ nods, obviously disheartened, but trying not to look it.

NICK  
You know, older women, threesomes, wanting to be dominated, all that stuff. He can be very descriptive when he wants to be.

He laughs, joking around, as LIZ awkwardly laughs, clearly uncomfortable. NICK coughs, trying to force himself to be serious again.

NICK  
Why?

LIZ  
I don’t know, just… We haven’t been talking as much and the girls thought I should talk to him about it, but like…

LIZ shrugs, sighing.

LIZ  
I don’t know.

NICK  
Worried you can't live up to his standards and he'll leave you for some sort of sex goddess?

LIZ sighs, rubbing her temples.

LIZ  
I just don’t want him to think I’m clingy.

NICK does a sigh-laugh, shaking his head.

NICK  
Elizabeth, my love, I don’t think James has a “too clingy” radar. Literally, I once stayed at his place for, like, a week and he was begging me to stay afterwards.

LIZ  
Seriously? Why were you there?

NICK shrugs, smiling.

NICK  
Long sleepover. We like to have fun.

LIZ  
What about your parents?

NICK goes still for a moment, and then lets out a breathy laugh.

NICK  
I mean, I told them where I was, so…

LIZ stares at him, confused, as he coughs loudly, awkward.

NICK  
Anyways, you’re not Charles, I don’t gotta tell you jack shit about me.

LIZ laughs briefly.

LIZ  
Wow, thanks, you’re so nice.

NICK smiles at her again.

NICK  
You're welcome.

LIZ is completely taken aback for a moment, when an office door opens and CHARLES steps out, nervous and smiling thinly. LIZ and NICK both look over at him, on their best behaviour.

CHARLES  
Nick? 

NICK stands up, slipping his phone into his pocket as LIZ awkwardly laughs.

CHARLES  
Oh, am I interrupting?

LIZ shakes her head.

LIZ  
Not at all.

NICK  
We were just chatting.

He and LIZ make eye contact and both laugh a little, LIZ waving as she walks back off through the door she came and NICK looks back over at CHARLES, smiling at him.

CHARLES  
Alright, then. Come on in.

NICK follows CHARLES into:

INT. CHARLES’S OFFICE

CHARLES sits down behind his ornate desk as NICK sits in the plush chair opposite him. NICK messes up his hair, swooping it up to the side as CHARLES scribbles some words down on a notepad on his desk.

CHARLES  
So… How have we been doing?

NICK laughs.

NICK  
I didn’t know we were a  _ we _ , Charlie.

CHARLES stares blankly at him, letting out a tired sigh as NICK chuckles, enjoying himself.

CHARLES  
Okay, how are _you_ doing, Nick?

NICK  
Yeah, fine.

CHARLES nods, making a note.

CHARLES Good fine or bad fine?

NICK squints.

NICK  
Just… fine? Like… I don’t know.

CHARLES  
Okay, have you felt more happy or sad in the past week?

NICK stares at him for a moment, letting out an awkward laugh.

NICK  
I don’t know. Like, I haven’t been actively sad, but… I haven’t been actively happy, so, you know!

He does finger guns - CHARLES is extremely unamused.

CHARLES  
Okay… Um, how would you rate your drug use for the past week?

NICK snorts.

NICK  
Out of ten?

CHARLES  
No, just… How much?

NICK thinks for a moment.

NICK  
Jeez, I don’t know. 

A beat. He sighs, lying:

NICK  
None. Happy?

CHARLES sighs deeply.

CHARLES  
Well, I’d be happier if you were honest and working with me. And not wasting your parents’ hard earned money.

NICK quickly laugh - he doesn’t want to talk about that.

NICK  
How’d you know it was hard earned? 

CHARLES sighs again, rubbing the temples next to his thinning hair.

CHARLES  
Just-- Just answer my first question, Nick.

NICK lets out a deep breath.

NICK  
Well, I’ve done no more than usual.

CHARLES blinks at him.

CHARLES  
That’s comforting.

NICK  
I’m not here to comfort you. It’s kind of the other way round, don’t you think?

NICK squints at him as CHARLES takes a deep breath.

CHARLES  
Okay… How do you define “usual”?

NICK shrugs, his leg starting to bounce again.

NICK  
I don’t know. Alcohol. Nicotine. Ooh, maybe even some marijuana!

CHARLES  
Nick. Serious.

NICK  
Okay, Jesus…

NICK sighs, his awkward laughter trailing off as he scratches behind his ear.

NICK  
And, um, just some party stuff on the weekends. And that’s it. Seriously, I’m not lying out on the streets dying. I’m being safe and shit.

CHARLES  
Can you name every drug you’ve taken in the past week?

NICK is frozen for a second as he remains silent, his mouth opening and closing a few times, but still nothing.

CHARLES  
Then you’re not safe.

NICK shrugs, looking down.

NICK  
I’m just having fun.

CHARLES  
Having fun should be safe.

NICK shrugs, letting out a very awkward and humourless laugh.

NICK  
Where’s the fun in that?

CHARLES sighs and begins to scribble in his notepad again, NICK letting out a very quiet breath and tapping his thumbs on his knuckles, looking out of the window, wanting to be literally anywhere else.


	6. CLIP SIX: "Cautionary Tale"

**FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16TH, 18:26**

EXT. BACK STREETS NEAR NICK’S HOUSE

NICK strolls leisurely down the backstreets, hands in his pockets, whistling nonsense to himself, casual as anything. He takes his hands out of his pocket, some money in them and begins to count it quietly to himself, smiling as he does. He tucks it back into his pocket as he turns into his garden gate.

EXT. BACK GARDEN, NICK’S HOUSE

NICK walks up the garden path, stepping toe-to-toe, amusing himself, before opening the door and walking in.

INT. KITCHEN, NICK’S HOUSE

NICK walks in and jumps - JOSEFINA and CHRISTIAN are sitting together, calm, each with a mug of tea.

NICK  
Jesus Christ!

He laughs, his hand resting on his chest.

NICK  
Didn’t expect to see you there, you scared me so much…

NICK looks at their worried faces and lets his laughter trail off, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

NICK  
Is-- Is everything okay?

A beat.

NICK  
Did someone die?

JOSEFINA  
No, Nick, no one died.

NICK nods, letting out a relieved sigh.

CHRISTIAN  
We just wanted to talk to you about something.

NICK squints for a moment, automatically on the defensive.

NICK  
What is it?

JOSEFINA and CHRISTIAN exchange a look for a moment.

JOSEFINA  
We think that you should have a curfew. 8 o’clock, every night.

NICK's jaw slacks as he lets out a surprised breath.

NICK  
What? That’s basically killing my social life, you can’t do that to me.

CHRISTIAN scoffs.

CHRISTIAN  
We are your parents, we will treat you how we want to.

NICK  
It’s not fair!

CHRISTIAN  
Tough!

NICK goes quiet, staring at his parents as they look at each other, having a conversation with their eyes that NICK can't understand, and he takes a quick breath, frustrated.

NICK  
You know making me come home earlier isn’t gonna change anything, right? It’s just making me find more ways to get around it, which I shouldn’t be telling you, but hey! I already fucked everything else up!

JOSEFINA holds her hand up, NICK taking a shaky breath.

JOSEFINA  
Do not… Your brothers could hear you.

NICK rolls his eyes.

NICK  
Yeah, God forbid we taint them with the my cautionary tale.

JOSEFINA  
Maybe if you actually tried--

NICK laughs, incredulous.

NICK  
I don’t need to try because I’m doing fine! Not doing anything wrong! I don’t need to be pun--

CHRISTIAN  
You didn’t let her finish. [to JOSEFINA] Go on, honey.

JOSEFINA nods, as NICK runs a hand through his hair, trying to slow his breathing down and be quieter.

JOSEFINA  
Maybe if you actually tried with Charles instead of just making jokes at him for an hour, we wouldn’t have to punish you so much.

NICK furrows his brow.

NICK  
How do you--

CHRISTIAN  
He gave us a call. Told us you weren’t trying at all anymore, and that you weren’t even showing up half the time.

NICK opens and closes his mouth a few times, the rest of his body perfectly still.

NICK  
I-- I just-- I’m doing my best. I-- I have a lot of schoolwork, and--

JOSEFINA  
If your schoolwork is effecting your therapy sessions, maybe it’s good that we’re cutting down on your social and screen time.

NICK raises his eyebrows, laughing to cover up the silence.

NICK  
So I’m not allowed to be happy?

CHRISTIAN  
We just want you to be more serious, Nick. You’re almost an adult now, and… I mean, look at you.

NICK looks down at himself - he doesn't see anything wrong. Maybe he should.

CHRISTIAN  
All you care about is your video games and your music and your drugs, and… I mean, look at your clothes, your hair. You look like a child, not a fully grown man.

NICK stares at him for a few moments, unable to process what he just said.

NICK  
What… What’s wrong with my hair?

CHRISTIAN  
Is that your biggest problem here?

NICK shakes his head, nervously tucking his hair behind his ear.

NICK  
No, just…

CHRISTIAN  
Nick, how are you going to get a real job when you choose to look like that?

NICK laughs again, humourless.

NICK  
I-- I have a job.

CHRISTIAN  
Are you going to work at the _supermarket_ forever?

NICK holds his hands up, sputtering, JOSEFINA and CHRISTIAN both remaining calm and collected.

NICK  
I-- I don’t-- Is that such a bad thing?

JOSEFINA  
If you’re working at the Tesco, then why haven’t I seen any uniforms in the wash?

Shit. NICK goes completely still.

JOSEFINA  
Why does your shift times keep changing?

NICK laughs again, defensive, quick and breathy.

NICK  
I-- It’s complicated, Mum.

JOSEFINA holds her hand up again, closing her eyes, breathing deeply to calm herself as NICK keeps crossing and uncrossing his fingers.

JOSEFINA  
Just tell me your manager’s complicated. That they need you for more hours sometimes, just… Please say it’s all fine.

NICK takes a deep breath, his eyes wide, all of his fingers and thumbs crossed together.

NICK  
It’s all fine.

JOSEFINA looks to CHRISTIAN, who stares a very scared NICK down.

CHRISTIAN  
Nick.

NICK  
I… 

NICK trails off, unable to say anything at all.

CHRISTIAN  
Where do you get the money from, Nick?

NICK shakes his head slightly for a moment.

NICK  
[quietly] I’m not doing anything wrong.

JOSEFINA  
If you weren’t doing anything wrong, you wouldn’t have to hide it from us.

JOSEFINA looks up at him, heartbroken.

NICK  
I’m just… I’m just trying to help you guys.

JOSEFINA  
You’re our  _ child _ .

NICK  
But I cost you a lot, and I--

CHRISTIAN  
We can handle money, Nick, you have to focus on school.

NICK sighs, shaking his head with a bitter smile.

NICK  
Can you please stop swinging between treating me like an adult or a child? You act like I’m fucking five or as if I’m about to be in an office for the rest of my life, and then I’ll die.

JOSEFINA looks at him, her mouth open.

JOSEFINA  
Don’t speak to us that way.

NICK  
Why can you tell me how to speak but I can’t tell you?

CHRISTIAN  
We’re your _parents_.

NICK does a scoff-laugh.

NICK  
So you own me?

JOSEFINA rolls her exhausted eyes.

JOSEFINA  
That isn’t funny, Nick.

NICK  
I’m not…

NICK shakes his head and sighs.

NICK  
Jesus Christ.

There’s a quiet knock at the door as the three of them look over to see MATTHEW, in his pyjamas, standing in the doorway.

MATTHEW  
What’s going on?

NICK quickly shakes his head, smiling.

NICK  
Nothing, Matt, we’re just…

He looks over to CHRISTIAN, who remains calmly stone-faced.

CHRISTIAN  
Nick broke some rules, so we’re just… Talking about it.

MATTHEW  
Is it because he took me to the pool? He-- He only did that because I asked him, and he used his own money to pay for it.

NICK can’t hide the pain on his face as he looks at MATTHEW’s nervous little face.

JOSEFINA  
No, it’s something else, sweetie. Go back to bed.

MATTHEW nods as he turns and walks back out. JOSEFINA stands up and closes the door behind him as NICK sighs, opening the back door again.

JOSEFINA  
Where are you going?

NICK turns to her and shrugs.

NICK  
I don't know. Somewhere.

JOSEFINA  
What do you mean? 

NICK shakes his head, trying to keep himself from shouting.

NICK  
Just somewhere.

He heads out the door, CHRISTIAN following after him.

EXT. BACK GARDEN

CHRISTIAN yells after him, making NICK stop.

CHRISTIAN  
You’re going to have to come back eventually.

NICK  
Yeah. And hopefully you’ll have made up your minds about who I am by then.

JOSEFINA appears in the doorway.

JOSEFINA  
Nick--

NICK turns and starts to walk away again, sighing.

CHRISTIAN  
Nicholas Christian Braxton, you come back here this instant!

NICK turns back and raises his hands angrily.

NICK  
I got work to do, Dad! Don’t worry, I’m not a prostitute, so I’m not gonna get whatever STD you think I have.

CHRISTIAN rolls his eyes and gives him a look.

CHRISTIAN  
I don’t think any of that.

NICK  
Really? ‘Cause you treat me like I’m sick.

JOSEFINA sighs and steps towards him.

JOSEFINA  
You are, Nick.

NICK stepping backwards.

NICK  
I’m not! I’m a teenager! Not an adult, not a kid, I’m just a person.

CHRISTIAN  
Nick, you have a drug problem, and you’re too scared to admit it.

A beat. NICK blinks rapidly, looking down at the dirty ground in front of him. JOSEFINA looks up at CHRISTIAN.

JOSEFINA  
Christian. 

CHRISTIAN  
He needs to hear it.

NICK rolls his eyes, shaking his head, laughing quietly.

NICK  
I don’t “need” anything, okay? Except to get out of here for a while.

CHRISTIAN steps towards him again.

CHRISTIAN  
What if you end up in trouble? Huh? The police or you take too much again or--

NICK  
I made one mistake!

JOSEFINA  
You could’ve died!

NICK rolls his eyes, laughing half-hysterically.

NICK  
But I _didn’t!_ And I won’t. I know what I’m doing, so can you just let me go to my friend’s house to sleep over, like every other teenager can do?

CHRISTIAN looks over to JOSEFINA, who stands up straight.

JOSEFINA  
Whose house?

NICK shrugs, looking down, ashamed of all he’s done.

NICK  
James.

JOSEFINA takes a breath, CHRISTIAN rolling his eyes as NICK watches, already tired.

JOSEFINA  
Fine. But straight home in the morning, and you’ll be doing a drug test then.

NICK nods, smiling sarcastically.

NICK  
Can’t wait.

He turns and walks out the gate, closing it tightly behind him.

EXT. BACK STREETS

NICK leans against the gate, breathing in and out, rubbing the back of his neck as all humour falls from his face - _fuck_.

CHRISTIAN [O.S.]  
Why are you so soft on him?

NICK steps forward, off of the gate, keeping his face expressionless as he listens.

JOSEFINA [O.S.]  
He’s our son.

CHRISTIAN [O.S.]  
Exactly. He needs discipline.

NICK scoffs, blinking back tears as he rolls his eyes. He takes his phone and earphones out of his pocket, plugging his ears and beginning to blast “Generation Why” by Conan Gray. He stares out to the street, and then turns and walks back up the way he came, quickly.

EXT. STREETS, BRIGHTON

We go into slow motion as NICK walks down the various streets of Brighton in the sunset, gazing out at the people passing by, all either mid-conversation or carrying bags or with their dogs, all perfectly happy living their lives. None of them look like NICK - both physically and emotionally - and NICK rolls his eyes, pressing the earbuds tighter into his ear.

EXT. JAMES’S APARTMENT BUILDING

NICK walks up towards the building, a smile gradually growing onto his face as he takes a key out of his pocket and unlocks the front door, heading on in.

INT. STAIRS, JAMES’S APARTMENT BUILDING

NICK goes up the stairs, two at a time, his arms outstretched, his hands hovering over the railings.

INT. HALLWAY, JAMES’S APARTMENT BUILDING

NICK walks up the hall, breathing quite heavily, the song fading out as he takes his earphones out and knocks on JAMES’s apartment door. He waits a moment, wiping his forehead, and then the door opens, a stressed looking JAMES opening it, running a hand through his hair as NICK’s smile turns nervous.

NICK  
Hey.

JAMES nods, not smiling at all.

JAMES  
Hi. What are you doing here?

NICK nervously laughs, looking around the hallway as JAMES remains leaning on his door.

NICK  
Um, I thought I’d come over for a bit. You know, hang out.

JAMES nervously laughs, looking behind him.

JAMES  
Look, um, I’d love to, but I’m kinda busy right now.

NICK laughs along with him, more awkward than anything.

NICK  
With-- With what?

JAMES  
Um, Liz is over and we’re in the middle of something right now, so… We can hang out tomorrow?

NICK blinks a few times. Of course this happens now. He then nods, smiling casually.

NICK  
Yeah. Yeah, sure, totally.

He steps back, ready to walk away, and then winks at JAMES.

NICK  
Use protection.

JAMES nods, but doesn't laugh. NICK is crushed, but covers it up with a laugh, quickly walking away.

INT. STAIRCASE

NICK slowly walks down the staircase, one at a time, staring down at his phone as he makes sure he has his notification noises off, and then opens up Grindr, swiping directly into his messages.

At the top of the list is one from 27 minutes ago, from “TallGuy29”. NICK raises an eyebrow at the name and clicks on the profile: “Hard top, 6’6”, DM me if you have daddy issues”. NICK considers it for a moment, and then goes back to read the guy’s message: “Hey, how are you?”. 21 kilometres away. NICK blows out a little breath and taps it, writing back: “Hey I’m good wbu?”.

He keeps walking, boredly staring at his phone until he gets a response: “I’m good. What are you up to?”. NICK looks around the empty staircase, and quickly types: “Literally nothing lol. Do u want to meet up??”. 

He reaches the bottom of the staircase and stares at his phone, pacing back and forth as a WOMAN opens the door to the building, staring at him. NICK stops, smiling awkwardly, and moves out of the way to let her up the stairs. When he looks down at the phone, he has a response: “Yeah, sure, where?”. NICK smiles to himself and walks out of the door, typing furiously on his phone.

EXT. STREETS, BRIGHTON

_“Sex Drive” by Austin McKenzie_ starts to play as NICK walks briskly down the street, looking at himself in his phone, fixing his hair, sweeping it to the side, grinning, but then a notification comes over the page - a message from THEO saying “yo do you wanna play overwatch together???”.

NICK brings his phone down, reading the message over and over, tapping the sides of his screen, and then quickly swipes it away, biting his lip and putting his phone back in his pocket, walking on, putting a smile on his face as he passes by some people, waving politely at them.

INT. PUB

NICK walks in, looking past groups of friends and dates, all happily chatting, to see a very tall, muscular GUY, at least fifteen years older than NICK. NICK smiles as charmingly as he can and walks over to him, beginning to talk to him silently, the camera staying in the doorway as we watch them. NICK rests his hand on the TALL GUY’s arm, the TALL Guy laughing as NICK nervously glances over towards us - the doorway.

_ CUT TO END CREDITS AS THE SONG CONTINUES _

_ CUT TO BLACK _


End file.
